More than half of older people are cutting back on essentials such as heating and food, and one in 10 of the poorest pensioners have been forced into debt by the rising cost of living, according to Age Concern.

With a third of those eligible still missing out on the Governments flagship benefit Pension Credit five years since its introduction, the charity is calling for urgent government action to increase take-up.

To overcome the deeply ingrained barriers to claiming benefits, Age Concern wants the Government to introduce a new system of automatic payments as soon as possible – an idea supported by seven in 10 older people – and reform the benefits system to help the poorest pensioners cope with their escalating household bills.

The report reveals that six in 10 low income pensioners are only just getting by or are finding it difficult to manage financially. Two-thirds of pensioners are cutting back on the amount of gas and electricity they are using, 52% are buying less or poorer quality food, and 49% are planning on cutting back their heating this winter.

The Government has made some efforts to improve the take-up of Pension Credit and further positive, though limited reforms to the claiming process are about to come into effect. But the charity is warning that these are nowhere near radical enough to significantly increase take-up.

Furthermore, unless take-up dramatically improves, the decision to reduce the period for which older people can claim backdated benefits to fund these reforms will penalise the very poorest.

Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern, said: It is deeply wrong that billions of pounds in benefits cash is failing to reach the poorest pensioners at a time when thousands are feeling forced to cut back on essentials such as food and fuel.

There can be no doubt that current measures to tackle the scourge of pensioner poverty are falling pitifully short of the mark. Pension Credit has the potential to lift hundreds of thousands of pensioners out of poverty, but will remain more flagging than flagship without urgent action to reform the faltering benefits system. Introducing a system of automatic benefits it is the only effective way to reach all those who need help through these difficult financial times.

Is it just me, or have the seasons all changed?

Winters seem to start later, and end later. Almost every year now, it’s positively summery until November – witness the current warm snap – and then freezing for five solid months until May. The sad thing is that the cold weather seems to drag on longer than ever, well into what used to be spring. So start looking now at swapping your energy provider. There are many websites like www.betterbills.net and the Utility Warehouse to check out. Most households could save something, and many could save a lot more. It only takes 10 minutes to start looking, and many web sites allow you to sign up online. The better providers have no minimum contract term, so you are able to switch again if a better deal comes along.

At the same time, extreme weather is more common, whether it’s last year’s snow that brought half the country to a halt, or the floods of 2007. So now more than ever, it’s important to prepare your house for the winter. Think of our ‘house-warming’ list here as the opposite of a spring clean: it’s a late-autumn check for small things that could become big problems. And with the weather still clement, there’s no time like the present.

• Get your boiler checked. Summer is really the best time to get a boiler serviced, but if yours hasn’t had its annual check yet, there’s no time like the present – repair costs go up like a hot-air balloon in winter.
• Check the Gas Safe Register for legally registered, safe gas engineers. As well as checking for costly problems, the engineer should make sure that your heating is working efficiently, saving you money in cold weather.
• Know what to do if a pipe bursts. Find your house’s stopcock now and check everyone in the house knows how to turn it off, in order to minimize damage if a pipe does burst. If the worst does happen and a pipe bursts, turn off the stopcock, then flush the toilets and run all the taps to drain the water tank as quickly as possible. Prevention is better than cure, though. If it’s freezing outside, leave one tap in the house dripping slightly: this can prevent a burst pipe by lowering the water pressure. Insulation, insulation, insulation.
• We all know that making sure your house is properly insulated will cut heating bills. Top up your loft insulation, and install cavity wall insulation if possible. This is a big job, and a major investment: see our tips, and call your local Energy Saving Trust office on 0800 512 012 for advice. But there are lots of smaller insulation jobs that will also help.
• Walk around the house and do a draught check, then seal gaps around windows and doors. Check if there are any holes where pipes leave the house, and fill them. Lag your boiler and pipes – an easy weekend DIY job.
• Line curtains for extra insulation. Put foil behind radiators to reflect heat back into the room.

There are more useful tips (including details of how to check whether you’re entitled to any heating grants) on how to slash your heating bills. It’s also worth shopping around for the best energy tariff. Life-saving checks. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are vital. There’s never a bad time to change the batteries and test the alarms. With winter drawing in, and heaters and fires at full blast, it’s even more important.

Sweep the chimney. If you have an open fire, now is the time to get your chimney swept! Chimney-sweeping is generally cheapest in the spring – but birds can nest in chimneys during the summer, so autumn is the best time overall. If you don’t use the chimney, block it up to conserve heat – though only do it if there’s no possibility of the fire being used, otherwise it’s dangerous. The roof over your head. When was the last time you looked at your roof? Take a pair of binoculars and do a visual check for missing or cracked roof tiles. These can let damp through in the rain, and weak tiles are bad news in winter gales. On flat roofs, check for puddles. Check your chimney pots, satellite dish and TV aerial are fixed securely, too. A quick fix now could save money later.

Stamp out damp. Make sure gutters aren’t blocked with leaves. Overflowing water can weaken brickwork and even foundations, especially in old houses. Buy gutter leaf guards and ensure pipes discharge well away from the house. Make sure window-frames aren’t damp, and seal any gaps with sealant or mortar. Wooden windowsills will benefit from a coat of wood preservative. Finally, check that drip grooves underneath windowsills aren’t blocked with moss. If you suspect you might have damp, you can get a free survey from companies like Kenwood Plc or Barker Goodwin.

Trees & garden. Trim tree branches away from the house (high winds can slam branches into windows, and leaves can block gutters). Prepare your garden for winter: get rid of weeds and clear away dead annuals. Store garden furniture so it doesn’t blow away during gales, shut (and lock) tools and barbecues away to stop them rusting, and drain the lawnmower’s motor – you won’t be needing it again for a while.

Home insurance. Check that your home insurance policy covers against damage from cold weather, floods, and frozen pipes, and any restrictions. Fences and gates may not be covered, for example. It’s possible to insure heating systems, too, though if you have a home insurance policy and a cheapish boiler, it may not be necessary. Make a house first-aid kit. Include a torch, batteries, candles and matches, insulation tape, fuses, radiator key, WD-40, screwdriver, and penknife. Also include important phone numbers, like your insurance company helpline and a 24-hour plumbers

Increasing your bottom line through lowering your business energy outgoings is a great way to make the most profits, but how do you do that? Have a read of these five ideas that can make a great deal of difference to both you and your business through the year.

• Work-from-home – You pay good money for your office space, so why would you want people to telecommute? Well, your utility bills add up to more than just the rental costs and if you can use less energy one day a week then you will go some way to cutting the electricity overheads.
• Compare electricity prices – There are many people across the UK, and the globe, who have never switched suppliers. This can be a key reason in why utility bills are sky high when they come through the door. While it’s impossible for you to stop paying the rising energy prices, you can save hundreds of pounds by using the right supplier for your needs.
• Phone and broadband – While it’s true that your computers and laptops take up a lot of electricity are you using every megabyte that you pay for on broadband and every minute you get with the phone line? The truth is, probably not. It is unlikely for any business to get complete value for money. What this means, in turn, is that you need to switch tariffs on your broadband and/or phone to ensure maximum value.
• Lighting – Always everyone will tell you this, whether you are in the home or in the office take advantage of cutting down on lighting. Anything from not turning the lights until 10am to putting energy saving light bulbs in for the regular ones can be used to get the most out of your lighting.
• Office sharing – A drastic, and to some, unthinkable option is to team up with another company and work within the same office. From here you can work towards the same energy saving goals, while also being greener and more efficient at the same time. Some business owners like their own space and privacy but it can be a great money-saving method for small businesses.

In today’s market, the lack of credit and struggling economy means that it isn’t a great time to be a small business. But, as you can see from the tips above, if you take everything into consideration you will be able to save significant amounts of money on a yearly basis.

Extra measures to consider would include implementing a paperless office whereby you move all communication online with emails and electronic signatures for business matters. This helps your office to remain neat and tidy while also having documents easily and efficiently store. Alternatively, switching the heat down by just one degree can save more than a hundred pounds over a year.

I’m writing a report on this and figure some feedback from normal people would help more than databank figures.

My opinion is that they are a cheap company that is struggling and in an attempt to profit they are trying to produce there cars cheaper by sacrificing quality.

just my opinion.